Massive Open Online Courses: 20 experts for a state of the art

What characteristics do Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have? What are its benefits compared with other online training methods? And its main limitations? What kinds of competencies are required to make a MOOC and what competencies are fostered? The MOOC' spread has come together with strong criticisms related to its educational value, the certification systems, the role of tutors, to the difficulties for its assessment or even the involved commercial business model. However, there are few scientific evidences about its operation, since the MOOC are a relatively recent phenomenon. A way to approach the state-of-the-art is asking the most reliable voices of our country. In this study we analysed in depth the point of view of 20 experts in educational technology from several Spanish universities by means of a questionnaire at the beginning of 2012 aiming at knowing their opinion about MOOC' characteristics, its benefits and limitations. Experts from different subjects and degrees of Spanish Universities agree some MOOC's benefits, such as accessibility and possibility of autonomous lifelong learning and at the same time, they perceive evident limitations relative to MOOC own features, interactivity and massivity and specially regarding assessment processes that characterise this training modality.